This is a perfect addition to the shelves of anyone looking for classic and unique bean recipes.

I loved learning more about different types of beans and how to prepare them. I tried several recipes, which were all delicious. And it has inspired me to try some different bean varieties. Note- most recipes are vegan/vegetarian as written or adaptable, but not all. We eat meat and love to flavor beans with meat, so it’s a good fit for us!

The images are gorgeous, and the recipes are easy to follow.

I highly recommend this beautiful bean book!

I am so excited to get a chance to review Steve Sando’s The Bean Book. I personally have a shelf of Rancho Gordo beans to use and needed some inspiration. This book definitely gave it to me. The recipes are clear and simple. Some are quite unique and outside the box (Breakfast Bean soup!) The photography is gorgeous. I’m so glad descriptions of each type of bean is included - very helpful. This is such a great resource for bean enthusiasts and RG club subscribers.

This book is packed with information. It includes a short description of a whopping 50 different varieties of beans! It talks about different cooking methods. It includes a “The Bean Lovers Pantry” which helps you stock up your pantry with some great flavor companions.

And then, of course, there are the recipes—well-formatted and easy to follow. They hail from around the world and range from savory to sweet, including everything from humble refried beans to decadent navy bean pie.

The first thing I did upon finishing this book was order myself some heirloom beans. I am so ready to start cooking. I'll be starting with the Pizza Beans!

Expect to be inspired!

Good things have come to the bean world. Steve Sando has spent years bringing quality beans to his garden and his recipes. His path began with a simple pinto-type bean named Rio Zape which led him from farmer’s markets to an international corporation with the focus continuing on the quality of the beans. There are details on fifty beans with each having a beautiful photograph and recipe recommendations. These recipes range from simple to complex, but all showcase the bean.

This cookbook is gorgeous.
It seems that the author took a lot of time in the prep for this book - you will see beautiful pictures of bean-inspired dishes that resonate with a variety of cuisines.

Some sample categories:
Bean Dips/Appetizers
Bean Soups & Stews
Beans and Rice Dishes

Just those categories alone cover what I believe most people would be interested in learning from a book like this, but the best part is that there is such much more.

Great book. Thank you to NetGalley and to Steve Sando for providing this title in exchange for an honest review. I will definitely be buying a physical copy for my kitchen.

*I received a free eArc of this book from Netgalley in exchange for a review*

I am looking for ways to incorporate more plant-based protein in my life to improve my health and stretch my household food budget, so I though I'd give this cookbook a try. I am grateful for the recipes, as it seems that beans can make a lot more than I thought they could. I didn't realise you could use beans in dessert, but you definitely can. I have noted a few of these recipes that I'll be trying. There are some that are picky-kid-friendly, but most aren't. So I'm not so sure if this is a great cookbook for families with small children, unless your small children will eat variety and/or new foods without issue.

I especially like that the book delves into different cultures foods, and gives a little insight and knowledge about different types of beans that most people would never know. It's interesting.

As a beanie, I really appreciated the focus on beans, which are nature's little powerhouses. Sando's tips on preparing beans were a standout and will definitely inspire your culinary adventures. Unfortunately, I couldn't source the specific beans used in most recipes, and many dishes left me unenthused. Perhaps it’s because I couldn’t find the right beans, or maybe the magic was lost in translation.

Overall, "The Bean Book" is like a mixed bag of heirloom beans—some gems, some duds. The lack of photo captions (blame it on the e-book format) adds to the mystery. While not a home run, it’s worth exploring for the bean wisdom alone.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy.

Considering the current cost of groceries, I was originally interested in The Bean Book by Steve Sando because I was looking for affordable but nutritious and tasty recipes. If you substitute store-bought beans in these recipes, that might be achievable. But, if you order the beans suggested in this book, a lot of them cost more per pound than chicken and beef cost at my local grocery store. So, that being said, I did not try any of these recipes exactly as written due to the cost and inconvenience of having to order online and wait for the ingredients to show up in the mail.

Sadly, none of these recipes particularly wowed me. Plus, most of the recipes required you to cook a pot of beans (a 3 hour process on the stove top) before even starting on the chosen recipe. There were instructions for alternate methods, but I was hoping for more slow cooker or instant pot recipes.

The Bean Book was a little more niche than I was looking for. You don't need to be a vegetarian/vegan to appreciate this book, but you do need to have the luxury of time. If you're interested in higher-end, quality, heirloom ingredients then you might want to give this book a try.

Thank you to NetGalley, Steve Sando, and Ten Speed Press for the opportunity to read the ARC of this book. A review was not required, and all opinions given are my own.

The Bean Book is the newest cookbook by Steve Sando of Rancho Gorda. Rancho Gordo is a company that sells heirloom, small-batch beans as well as other items such as spices, hot sauces and specialty vinegars. Rancho Gordo also features a quarterly bean club with a waitlist of over 20,000 people! (Disclaimer: I am a proud bean club member. Rancho Gordo’s beans far surpass anything I can find in my supermarket.)

The Bean Book is a wonderful cookbook whether you buy Rancho Gordo beans or you buy your beans elsewhere. The book gives a lot of basic information on the types of beans, the history of beans in the Americas, growing heirloom beans and cooking beans as well as Steve Sando’s story. The Bean Book features the basics of cooking dry beans from scratch using a pot, an oven, a slow cooker and a pressure cooker. There is a useful and illustrated list of 50 heirloom bean varieties such as anasazi, eye of the goat and good mother stalled.

This book features many recipes divided into the categories of: Bean Dips & Appetizers; Bean Salads; Bean Soups; Bean Braises, Stews & Other Stovetop Dishes; Beans & Grains; Baked Beans; Bean Patties, Fillings, Sauces & More; Sweets, Stocks, Salsas & More.

The master recipe for pot beans is a great recipe to start with to make a simple yet seasoned pot of beans. These beans were delicious on their own in a bowl though I also enjoyed them spooned over toast or made into tacos/burritos! The glorious refried beans recipe is so simple and so delicious. I have made this recipe using olive oil instead of lard. The recipes In this book are not all vegan or vegetarian but many of them are easily customizable for vegetarian diets. One more recipe that I loved is the recipe for the Gigandes Plaki (Greek baked beans). These beans are best made with a large white bean such as Royal Corona or Large white lima bean. In this recipe, the beans are baked in a delicious garlicky tomato sauce.

I am eager to continue to try out the recipes in this book! Thank you to the publisher and net galley for the digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I was genuinely surprised by how lovely this ode to beans was--from the photos to the writing to the recipes themselves, the author's obvious love for legumes shines through. I do wish each recipe had a photo, but that's a small complaint in comparison to the huge volume of information and recipe ideas in this volume. I really enjoyed the library of beans that starts the book off; it includes photos and some info about many bean varieties. I'm really looking forward to trying some of the recipes out, but I was most surprised by how enticing Steve made just a simple pot of beans sound. And a bean broth shot? I will 100% be trying that ASAP. I expected to enjoy this book, but I'll admit I didn't expect to be so tempted to add the physical book to my collection.

I received a copy of this eBook from netGalley for a honest review.

I so want beans now! This book is chock full of amazingly wonderful and yummy looking recipes. So many types of beans that you don't always see and the instructions on how to make them from the basics to more complex recipes. I look forward to enjoying many recipes from this book.

This is such an incredible book!

A wonderful selection of recipes, bean facts and cooking tips.

If you love consuming legumes like me, you'll love this book!

highly recommend this!

Thank you NetGalley, Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press, Ten Speed Press and Steve Sando for giving me an ARC of this amazing cookbook!

The Bean Book by Steve Sando is a delightful and inspiring compilation of bean recipes that had me eager to dive into the kitchen. From the moment I opened its pages, I was captivated by the creativity and versatility of the dishes presented.

What truly sets The Bean Book apart is the depth and detail with which Sando explores the world of beans. He covers everything from the various types of beans to growing heirloom varieties, harvesting them, and ultimately cooking them to perfection. This comprehensive approach makes the book not only a cookbook but also a valuable resource for bean enthusiasts.

The book's layout is both aesthetically pleasing and user-friendly, allowing for easy navigation and seamless execution of the recipes. Whether you're a seasoned chef or a novice, you'll find the instructions clear and concise, making the cooking process a joy.

I am excited to share these bean delights with my loved ones, and I am sure this cookbook will become a cherished addition to my kitchen library.

Thank you to NetGalley and Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press for generously providing me with an e-book copy of The Bean Book in exchange for an honest review.

Tired of opening a can of beans and not really enjoying them? In this fine cookbook, we learn about heirloom beans of varied colors and sizes and how to cook them for best flavor and texture as well as presentation. The recipes span the globe. I'm looking forward to trying many of the recipes in this cookbook. This was a Netgalley review book but I intend to put this on my cookbook shelf as soon as possible.

I love this book! I'm always trying to incorporate more beans into our diet and this book gives me great inspiration. I had to substitute different kinds of beans as I don't have quick access to the heirloom varieties.
While it does take more time to cook dried beans than just opening a can of beans, it's worth the time and energy and I hope this book converts more people to this way of cooking and enjoying beans!

This is a great cookbook filled with recipes for all kinds of cuisines using all kinds of beans. The author has a bean company but you can easily use similar beans if you don’t have the ones called for. There are photos for most of the recipes and plenty that are vegetarian, vegan and gluten free. There’s a lot of basic information on cooking beans all different ways and such too. No nutritional information is provided.

I read a temporary digital copy of this book for review.

Steve Sando's Rancho Gordo bean company is legendary and this gorgeously illustrated cookbook provides numerous delicious recipes that can be used with heirloom varieties or supermarket beans with great success. There are recipes for both vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.

The book begins with a full photographic library of bean types which I found incredibly helpful, especially when thinking about substitute varieties for recipes.The number of recipes that follow is substantial, with sections on Bean Dips and Appetizers, Bean Salads, Bean Soups, and an additional section on Bean Stews and Stovetop DIshes, then Beans and Grains, Baked Beans, and Bean Patties and Fillings, and then a final chapter on Sweets, Stocks, Salsas and More.

Many of the ingredient suggestions add a real spark to more familiar dishes, such as the introduction of the salty punch of anchovies to a white bean dip or to a pinquito bean salad with celery and lemon, or the addition of a garlic confit (with recipe included) that really elevates an otherwise standard hummus recipe.

I had great luck with the recipes I tried. The Red Beans tossed with Arugula and Pumpkin Seeds made for a satisfying crunch of a salad and the Flageolet spring salad with roasted and raw vegetables successfully marries roasted garlic and tomatoes with beans, herbs and lemons, parsley and crisp red onion and radish. I will definitely be adding the Big White Beans with Roasted Red Peppers and Pepitas to my list of go-to salads.

I have many pages digitally flagged for future cooking adventures. I am particularly eager to try the Sauerkraut and Hearty White Bean soup and the Alubia Blanca with Clams and Spanish Chorizo when it cools down a bit more this Autumn, I also expect to also experiment with Sando's two versions of Cassoulet: The Classic French Cassoulet and the slightly simplified version Sarah Scott's Napa Valley Cassoulet. There are also two Italian recipes that look fantastic to me: the Italian Pasta e Fagioli and the Polenta with Borlotti Beans and Tomato Sauce.

There is no doubt in my mind that I will be purchasing for my home collection as soon as it is released. My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an opportunity to read and cook from an ARC copy.


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Wow I did not know there are so many varieties of beans in the west. I knew Mexican cuisine has a lot of beans but was surprised to see Italian and South American recipes. I cannot wait to try and make them. The recipes are very authentic as chana masala was described as it would be made in a normal household in India.

I love beans and I really love Rancho Gordo beans. I have ordered extensively from the company (was even a Bean Club member for a long time) and now buy them locally. This is a thorough bean cookbook. Most recipes can be made vegan and without oil, which is how I cook at home. Delightful ideas here!

The Bean Book by Steve Sando is so delicious. The book is a perfect collection of Beans recipes.
Anyone can make it and enjoy it
The directions are easy to follow